Sorting-machine.



J. W. PEASE.

SORTING- MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17, 1910.

PatentedNov. 8, 1910.

FIG. I.

IE i i m INVENTOR:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

r 1 JOHN w. rnA'sE, or nocnnsrnn, NEW YonK.

' SO'R'IING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN W. PEAsE, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of- Monroe 7 and 5 State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sorting- Machines, of which the following is, a speclfication.

This invention relates to sorting machines 1 and its object is to provide ready and rapid means for sorting articles, and particularly larger vegetables and fruit, like potatoes and pp es.

I To this end the invention consists in the. 1 sorting machine hereinafterdescribed, as it is defined in the succeeding claims. a

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a central.

longitudinal section of the machine; Fig. 2 is a viewofthe machine looking from the 29 leftof the plane 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the carrier mechanism;

and Fig. 4 is an elevation projected 'from- Fig. 3.-

The frame of the illustrated embodiment of -my invention, represented by 1 in the drawings, is of any suitable construction, preferably rectangular in form,. and supports transverse shafts 2, 2, 2, in suitable bearings, each of which carries at each end 39 a pulley wheel 3,- those on the same side being 'alined. The. carrier is revolubly supported by said wheels, and in the form represented in the drawings comprises a belt 4 .on' each side that travels over the pulley Wheels on that side, cross slats 5- in pairs that are separated from one another, and .ring's 6 between the slats of each pair, the last mentioned extending across the machine, a row of rings bein between the slats of 40 each pair as shown 1n the drawings. 'The rings 6 are fastened to the adjacent slats 5 by staples 7, and are. connected together by links 8. v The-vegetables, fruit, or other articles to be sorted, are preferably placed u-po-nv the carrier by discharging them from a hopper 9, which extends. across the machine, in front. of the carrier, and is so placed and tilted that .the articles roll readily down f-through it onto the carrier. The mouth of the hopper is also carried down in front of -'-the hopper at 10, in box-like form open toward the carrier, and is divided by vertical partitions 11' into passages of equal width ,and of such width that each will contain only one of the articles at a time.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented him. 8, 1910.

Application filed January 17, 1910; Serial No. 538,528.

Supports in the form, of buckets 12 are fixed to the carrier behind each row of rings in number corresponding to the number of pockets made by the partitions 11, and so spaced that they pass through said pockets, respectively,'as the carrier rotates." The arrow indicates .the direction of rotation, and the buckets 12 are accordingly in the case of each row of rings attached to the slat' next behind the rings in order of rotation.

Guards 13 extend up vertically from the partitions 11, through the hopper 9 and in front of the carrier. Since the upward course of the latter is at an angle'te the 7 vertical plane (Fig. 1), any article that may have become wedged between the supports 12 is forced back into the hopper by the guards.

The machine is designed to discharge the smaller grade of articles through the rings,

smaller ones, means are provided for giving 35 the carrier an up and down movement as It travels across the top of the machine. This is accomplished by supporting the carrier on trunnions 16 on some of the transverse slats 5, and providing a way for them in the top rails 17, 17 of the machine, that comprises in serlesa horizontal course, an 1ncl1ne, and

, an abrupt drop to the next horizontal course.

The drop also tends to agitate the articles and start them moving on the carrier.

,A guard is also shown at the discharge .end of the machine, adjacent the hopper 15, a p

for preventing articles that may have be come wedged with-inthe rings from being I carried beyond the hopper 15. In the drawings this guard is a plate 18 that is p-ivoted on the shaft 2 and extending across the machine between the pulfley wheels 3., 3,.'pre- 5 senting an edge ad acent the under side 0 the rings, as they turn down toward the hop per 15, that is adapted to tip articles dut of the pockets into the hopper 15. ;A spring 19. 1 that holds the guard 18 in position, permits it to yield in a downward direction,- and so pass any article that may have come through the rings and become wedged between the guard and the carrier, and; a guide 20 on the under side of the chute 14 intercepts such articles and deflects them to one side of the machine.

What I claim is I. In a sorting machine, the combination of an endless carrier; means for moving the carrier arranged' to cause it to travel upwardly during part of its course; a hopper adapted to discharge articles one at a time through aplurality of passages open on the carrier side, and located adjacent the upwar'dly' directed course of the carrier; and

means carried by the carrier in'position to pass through said passages and take the articles from the passages, respectively.

2. In a sorting machine, the combination of anendless carrier; means for moving the carrier arranged to cause it to travel upw'ardly during part of its course; a hopper adapted to discharge articles one at a time through a plurality of passages open on the carrier side, and located adjacent the upwardly directed course of the carrier; and buckets carried by the carrier, in position to travel, through said passages and take from them one at a'time articles discharged into themfrom the hopper.

- *them one at. a time articles discharged lIiiO them from the hopper; and guards extending upwardly from said hopper located between said passages, and ada ted to dislodge articles wedged between the uckets. 4. In a sorting machine, a carrier comprising longitudinal supports, transverse rails in pairs, and rings in'series, located betw'een said rails and supported thereby.

-5. In a sorting machine, an endless carrier, comprising a belt at each side, transverse rails in pairs, and rings in series across the carrier, located between said rails and supported thereby. I

6. In a sorting machine, the combination of an endless carrier; means for moving the carrier arranged to cause it to travel up-l wardly during part of its'course, and comprising a belt at each side, transverse rails rails; and means for delivering to the buckets articles to be sorted. I

7. In a sorting machine, the combination of an endless carrierhavin'g a plurality of sorting orifices; and a guard located within the carrier, extending toward the same, and

adapted to engage and dislodge articles held fast in its orifices.

8. 'In'a sorting machine, the combination f of'an endless carrier having a plurality of sorting orifices; and a yielding guard lodated within the carrier, projecting toward the same, and adapted to dislodge articles held fast in its orifices.

9. In 'a sorting machine, the combination of an endless carrier having a plurality of sorting orifices; and a guard consisting of a plate supported within said carrier, extendingv across it, and adapted to engage articles projecting through its orifices.

' 10. In a sorting machine, the combination of an endless carrier having'a plurality of sorting orifices; a guard consisting of a plate pivotally supported within said carrier, extending across it, and adapted to engage articles projecting through its orifices; and

means for holding said guard yielding'ly in position. v v j 11. In a sorting machine, the combination of an endless, carrier-having a. plurality of sorting orifices, means for moving the carrier arranged to cause it to travel upwardly I during part of its course, means projecting from the carrier for carrying and raising articles to be sorted, and a hopperarranged to deliver articles to said carrylng means at the point Where the carrier moves upwardly. v

. 12. In a sorting machine, the combination of an endless carrier provided with a-s'uccession of sorting'orifices and with a bucket 1 00 projecting .from the carrier adjacent to and behind each'sorting orifice, means for'm'ov- .ing the carrier arranged to cause it to travel upwardly during part of its course, and

means for delivering articles'to bQ'SQI'tGd to the buckets at the point where the carrier moves upwardly.

JOHN w. PEAsn- Witnesses: I I

FARNUMF. DORSEY, D. Gimnrzu. 

